Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy - Osho - Oshorajneesh.com

CHAPTER 21. CHOOSE THE FLUTE OR PERISH
To explore ant find one’s own innate being is arduous, to imitate Krishna is easy enough. It takes
time to be oneself, but imitation comes in handy, Self nature, self-fulfillment, has to be earned,
borrow ing is effortless, convenient.
But this pursuit of convenience is disastrous; it really lands one into the very vortex of sorrow and
misery. So never commit the mistake of imitating others; it is utterly disastrous. It is calamitous.
I call him a religious person who goes on a voyage of self-discovery, who really discovers himself.
In this adventure of self-discovery, understanding Krishna or Mahavira, Buddha or Jesus, can be
helpful. Because in understanding others we lay the foundation of self-knowledge which is central
to spiritualism. Instead of knowing oneself directly, it is easier to know through knowing others,
because others provide you with a distance, a perspective to know.
Because there is a lack of distance between the knower and the known, direct self-knowledge is
really arduous. So in understanding oneself, the other is helpful. But when you go to understand
another – Krishna, Buddha or Mahavira – remember, he is only a means to self understanding and
self discovery. He is not your goal.
You might have observed on many occasions that when somebody comes to consult you about
a complex problem of his own, you advise him so competently. But when it comes to your own
problem, even a simple problem, you begin to shake in your shoes.
What is the matter? You are considered to be a very wise man by many who rush to you in their hours
of difficulty for your sage advice, and you have the reputation of solving many of their problems. But
when you are yourself in a mess you rush to others – perhaps to those very people you have helped
– for their advice. The reason is that you are so close to your problem, you are so involved in it, that
you can’t have the perspective to correctly figure it out.
It is comparatively easy to understand others and if we see others as a medium for selfunderstanding
then the lives of men like Krishna and Buddha are of immense value. Then as we
grow in self-understanding, Krishna and Christ, Mahavira and Buddha will drop by the wayside and
we will be left with ourselves in our utter purity.
This purity of the self, this virginity, this un spoiled innocence is what matters. And attainment of
this innocence, purity, is freedom. This ultimate purity or aloneness is called nirvana or ultimate
liberation. This primeval innocence is called Krishna consciousness or God or what you will.
One who reaches this supreme state of being with the help of Krishna will say that he has attained
to Krishna. This is a way of repaying an old debt that he owes to Krishna, this is a way of expressing
one’s gratitude to him. One who attains to this ultimate state with the help of Buddha, will say that
he has attained Buddhahood. He is only expressing his gratitude to one whose life and teachings
helped him in his arduous journey of self-discovery.
Ultimately, every seeker – whether he walks with Krishna or Christ – discovers himself. He cannot
discover the other, because the other is not. The day I find myself, when I know who I am, the other,
the ”thou” ceases to be. But I will need some name to describe my experience, and certainly I will
use one which helped me in coming to myself, in coming home.
Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy 414 Osho